Not to state the obvious, but "An Essay on Criticism" is written in couplets. I'm posting this here as opposed to the essays because I feel like it has more to do with the form rather than the meaning. The couplet allows Pope to be witty and biting, and I'm sure he knew what he was doing. Having said this, why does Pope throw in rhyming triplets (I don't know that that is what they are called technically. If you have a word...) He does so: 23-25, 315-317, 341-343, and 626-628. There could be more, but these were ones I marked upon my first reading. As mentioned in other topics, hearing is different than reading. In reading, we are often so caught up in getting the meaning that the rhythm and rhyme are lost to us. But hearing, the triplets stick out. Especially because none of these triplets were in the beginning of a stanza or anything. They were just worked in. I can not imagine that Pope just couldn't think of a way to work the rhyme in with a different word. But none of the ideas in the triplets seem hugely more important than those in the couplets, so why draw attention to them? - KLe-c Mar 10, 2008
That's interesting that you brought this up. I was trying to think of the different purposes for these rhyming triplets, and I couldn't really think of anything other than fitting in extra thoughts. If we wanted to go a little bit farther, it might also add to the difficulty of Pope's writing as a whole. The meaning of the essay reflects his views on writing, critiquing, and how he's such a great writer. This could have been a sub-topic under his outline on why he has the power to create great pieces and critique others'. I agree that the triplets do not have any outstanding importance other than they include more opinions, possibly because he couldn't fit them anywhere else, and deleting them would take away from the essay as a whole. As for noticing these triplets, I agree that hearing it catches one's attention much easier than just reading it. It almost made me do a double take to see if I missed a line somewhere. - bzw-c Mar 11, 2008
I noticed the "triplets" as well. I definitely think that these three lines that rhyme were not a mistake. Quite obviously from the rest of the "Essay," Alexandar Pope is an extremely talented poet. He didn't put them in there for the heck of it. BZw, you suggested that "he couldn't fit them anywhere else," but I have to disagree with that. I think that if Pope had wanted to write in perfect couplet form for the entire poem, he would have had no problem doing that. Heck, he wrote more than seven hundred lines of couplets, I don't think he had any trouble with it. Instead, the triplet form sets the three lines apart fromt he common couplet. They stand out. They are continuations of thoughts that need to be right where they are, and Pope placed them there fully aware of their function. I really don't feel as if anything that he did in the "Essay" was a mistake or on accident. - Kho-c Mar 12, 2008
I agree with Kho, I don't think that he put those couplets in that spot because they couldn't fit anywhere else. Pope is an established poet. I really feel that of all authors he would know what he is doing. I agree on the fact that he wanted attention to be drawn to these few lines. However, I agree with kle in the fact that when we read poetry aloud we can hear the rhyming and the flow; however, when we read it to ourselves, all of that is lost. Pope must have expected for people to read his poems aloud so that they would be able to hear the lines he was trying to stress. We may not think that these triplets are more important than the couplets, but Pope may have felt that they were. Pope had plenty of opinions concerning poetry and to him it seems like every bit counts when it comes to figuring out poetry and critiquing it. Pope appears to be the kind of writer where if he wants something to be noticed, he makes it noticable and wont let it fall by the wayside.- aja-c Mar 13, 2008
That's interesting that you brought this up. I was trying to think of the different purposes for these rhyming triplets, and I couldn't really think of anything other than fitting in extra thoughts. If we wanted to go a little bit farther, it might also add to the difficulty of Pope's writing as a whole. The meaning of the essay reflects his views on writing, critiquing, and how he's such a great writer. This could have been a sub-topic under his outline on why he has the power to create great pieces and critique others'. I agree that the triplets do not have any outstanding importance other than they include more opinions, possibly because he couldn't fit them anywhere else, and deleting them would take away from the essay as a whole. As for noticing these triplets, I agree that hearing it catches one's attention much easier than just reading it. It almost made me do a double take to see if I missed a line somewhere. -
I noticed the "triplets" as well. I definitely think that these three lines that rhyme were not a mistake. Quite obviously from the rest of the "Essay," Alexandar Pope is an extremely talented poet. He didn't put them in there for the heck of it. BZw, you suggested that "he couldn't fit them anywhere else," but I have to disagree with that. I think that if Pope had wanted to write in perfect couplet form for the entire poem, he would have had no problem doing that. Heck, he wrote more than seven hundred lines of couplets, I don't think he had any trouble with it. Instead, the triplet form sets the three lines apart fromt he common couplet. They stand out. They are continuations of thoughts that need to be right where they are, and Pope placed them there fully aware of their function. I really don't feel as if anything that he did in the "Essay" was a mistake or on accident. -
I agree with Kho, I don't think that he put those couplets in that spot because they couldn't fit anywhere else. Pope is an established poet. I really feel that of all authors he would know what he is doing. I agree on the fact that he wanted attention to be drawn to these few lines. However, I agree with kle in the fact that when we read poetry aloud we can hear the rhyming and the flow; however, when we read it to ourselves, all of that is lost. Pope must have expected for people to read his poems aloud so that they would be able to hear the lines he was trying to stress. We may not think that these triplets are more important than the couplets, but Pope may have felt that they were. Pope had plenty of opinions concerning poetry and to him it seems like every bit counts when it comes to figuring out poetry and critiquing it. Pope appears to be the kind of writer where if he wants something to be noticed, he makes it noticable and wont let it fall by the wayside.-